Additive manufacturing (AM) refers to manufacturing techniques that build three-dimensional (3D) objects by repeatedly layering material on top of and substantially parallel to a base layer. Additive manufacturing allows for 3D digital models of parts (e.g., generated by a 3D scanner, created using computer-aided design (CAD) software, etc.) to be produced rapidly without the need for custom tooling. Additive manufacturing techniques include material jetting, binder jetting, material extrusion, powder bed fusion (PBF), and sheet lamination. Depending on the specific technique used, additively manufactured parts may be composed of metals, plastic, polymers, organic compounds and/or ceramics.
3D scanners allow for physical objects to be analyzed to determine the shape and characteristics of the objects. Some 3D scanners may be used to generated 3D digital models of the scanned physical objects and, thus, reverse engineer existing parts
The figures are not to scale. Instead, the thickness of the layers or regions may be enlarged in the drawings. In general, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawing(s) and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts. As used in this patent, stating that any part (e.g., a layer, film, area, region, or plate) is in any way on (e.g., positioned on, located on, disposed on, or formed on, etc.) another part, indicates that the referenced part is either in contact with the other part, or that the referenced part is above the other part with one or more intermediate part(s) located therebetween. Stating that any part is in contact with another part means that there is no intermediate part between the two parts. Although the figures show layers and regions with clean lines and boundaries, some or all of these lines and/or boundaries may be idealized. In reality, the boundaries and/or lines may be unobservable, blended, and/or irregular.